Ask Tom why: How much snow did Chicago get in March 1979?

March 11, 2011

Dear Tom,

When the seasonal snow total in winter of 1978-79 had climbed to 89 inches in February and we still had to go through March, my husband bet me that Chicago would hit 100 inches by the end of the season. He lost the bet, so how much snow was there in March 1979?

—Sue Swedler, Naperville

Dear Sue,

The winter of 1978-79 was the third in a string of incredibly harsh winters in Chicago, and there was widespread speculation that the next ice age was imminent. In retrospect, that speculation proved unfounded. Chicago's cumulative snow tally had reached 87.7 inches by mid-February of 1979, and was well on its way to 100 inches. But then the snowy pattern abruptly ended. March brought only 2.0 inches of snow and April had none. The final seasonal snow total was a record 89.7 inches.